The Chinese Help Line is recruiting committed and responsible volunteers who speak Cantonese and/or Mandarin to provide emotional and informational support to callers.

 

The Chinese Help Line is a confidential, culturally-sensitive telephone help line that offers emotional support and information and referral to the Chinese community in both Cantonese and Mandarin. The aims of the program are to promote the well-being of Chinese Canadians who are in need of emotional support but experiencing difficulties in accessing social service due to language and cultural barriers and/or fear of social stigma.

 

Work Location:

Richmond, BC.

 

Key Responsibilities: Provide a safe and comfortable emotional support environment by phone to those who are reluctant to reach out to specialized/professional help due to social stigmas or cultural taboos.

 

Time Commitment and Schedule: Minimum commitment of 4 hours weekly in a year (about 200 hours in total). Shifts are available 7 days a week between 10am and 10pm.

 

Qualifications Required:

• 19 years or older
• Basic English Level or above
• Cantonese or Mandarin speaking (intermediate level or above)
• Criminal Record Check Clearance
• Must be available for a paid 40-hour professional help line volunteer training. 

Personal Traits/ Qualities Desired:

• Non-judgmental
• Excellent listening skills
• Committed and reliable
• Willing to learn and to make positive change

 

Orientation and Training Provided:

• General orientation to S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and the position.
• There will be 40 hours of Chinese Help Line training. Training includes basic emotional support skills, mental health, abuse, and crisis intervention.
• Ongoing  professional development opportunities and case conferences.

 

Benefits of Volunteering:

• Gain valuable experience, especially with listening, communication and crisis management skills.
• Volunteers receive a certificate and are eligible for references after completing over 40 volunteer hours.
• Support the work of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. in our mission to build bridges, harvest diversity and foster integration through service and advocacy.

 

Supervision:

• This position will be supervised by the Chinese Help Line Coordinator

 

Application and Screening Process:

• Please click the green button of Fill in an application at the upper right corner on this page.
• Selected applicants will be interviewed prior to placement and must have a criminal record check clearance prior to volunteering.

 

 

中僑互助會現誠意招募義工加入中僑心理熱線，為有需要人士提供情緒支持及其他有幫助的信息。申請人需懂粵語或國語、盡忠職守而有責任心。

 

許多華人都需要情緒支持，但語言和文化等障礙、或者對社會流言蜚語的恐懼，讓他們難以從一般社會福利機構獲得幫助。中僑心理熱線的宗旨，就是為這些華人提供服務，以改善他們的身心健康。 中僑心理熱線為華人社區提供國粵雙語的情緒支持、實用資訊和轉介服務，不僅完全匿名，而且尊重華人的文化背景。

 

工作地點：列治文

 

主要職責：

接聽由於懼怕社會流言蜚語及文化禁忌，而羞於尋求專家協助的有需要人士的來電，為他們提供安全而舒心的對話環境及情緒支持。

 

工作時間及日程安排：

每週需最少工作4小時（總共每年約200小時）。工作時間介於星期一至星期天，上午10點和晚上10點之間。

 

需符合條件：

• 年滿19歲。
• 基本或以上程度英文。
• 中等或以上程度口頭國語或粵語。
• 無犯罪記錄。
• 必須參加40小時心理熱線義工培訓。

 

 

優先考慮的性格特徵：

• 不輕易評頭論足，不持有成見。
• 熟練的聆聽技巧。
• 為人盡忠職守而且可靠。
• 願意持續學習和促進積極變化。

 

中僑提供以下培訓：

• 新義工培訓及心理熱線義工培訓；
• 心理熱線義工培訓需時40小時。培訓包括以下內容：情緒支持基本技巧、心理健康、常見侵犯、危機處置等。
• 持續的專業發展機會、以及參與個案研討會的機會。

 

當義工的益處：

• 獲得寶貴的義務工作經驗，特別是聆聽、交流及危機處置等方面的經驗。
• 完成40小時義務工作的義工可獲得義工證書，並可於未來求職時申請中僑推薦信。
• 支持中僑互助會「加固社區橋樑、善用多元文化優勢、促進不同文化背景國民融入加國彩圖」的使命；

 

主管：

• 本職位主管人員為中僑心理熱線主管。

 

申請及甄選程序：

• 請點擊右上角的綠色按鍵" Fill in an application" 遞交您的申請。
• 經過甄選的申請人需要經過面試才能獲得職位，遞交警方刑事紀錄後方可開始工作。

 

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Chinese Help Lines volunteer!

 

Being a Chinese Help Lines volunteer is an incredible experience that will not only change the lives of others, but one that will enrich your own life as well.

 

Our goal is to provide prospective volunteers all the information needed so that they are able to determine if joining our team is the right choice for them.

 

As a starting point, those who get the most out of volunteering with us and who are most helpful to our clients are emotionally mature, stable, calm, empathic and above all else, they are extremely good listeners.

 

Our volunteers are the heart of our organization. They give us and our callers the most precious gift - their time. Please see below and find out more about what being a Chinese Help Lines volunteer is all about.

 

Position Description:

 

Chinese Help Lines volunteers provide emotional support and referral information to distressed callers in Cantonese and Mandarin. Our volunteers are trained in active listening techniques, communication skills and crisis intervention. They help callers assess their own situations, establish goals and priorities, and link callers to pertinent resources in the community, if needed.

 

Responsibilities:

 

• Work with callers, fellow volunteers, and staff in a respectful and professional manner
• Provide emotional and informational support to callers as outlined by Chinese Help Lines policy and procedures
• Consult and debrief with Chinese Help Lines staff regularly
• Participate in ongoing training as required
• Participate in other Chinese Help Lines activities, events, and workshops as desired
• Screen calls for lethality and follow risk assessment and safety planning protocol

 

Volunteer Commitment:

 

• 40 hours of new volunteer training
• 200 hours on Chinese Help Lines (4 hours/week)
• Participate in in-service workshops and trainings

 

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications:

 

• 19 years of age or older
• Fluent in Mandarin or Cantonese
• Committed and reliable
• Complete a Criminal Record Check
• Non-judgmental
• Ability to listen well
• Willingness to receive and apply constructive feedback
• Willingness to engage in ongoing training for the tenure of your volunteer work with Chinese Help Lines
• Willingness to align to Chinese Help Lines policies and protocols
• Successful completion of Chinese Help Lines new volunteer training

 

Benefits:

 

• Looks good on a resume
• Makes new friends
• Connection to community
• Development of communication and active listening skills to integrate into your life
• Increased knowledge of local resources available in the community
• Eligibility for reference letters upon completion of 200 volunteer hours
• Receive relevant experience for graduate programs in Counselling Psychology, medical school, social work programs, or other helping professions

 

Application:

 

• No specific experience is required to take part in our program. We provide comprehensive training to prepare you for the volunteer role.
• After reading the detailed program and volunteer position information, the applicant completes and submits the online application.
• The application is received and reviewed by Chinese Help Lines staff who will confirm that it has been received.
• A phone interview and an in-person interview will be arranged for qualifying applicants.
• The references provided by the applicant will be contacted after the interview. 
• The applicant completes a criminal records check.
• Acceptance into training does not automatically qualify an applicant to volunteer. Applicants must successfully complete all training sessions and the volunteer evaluation process is ongoing.

 

Training:

 

Chinese Help Lines volunteers must complete 40 hours of training before answering calls. Applicants are required to attend all training sessions. Failure to attend training sessions will result in dismissal. Training takes place in Richmond. Training includes lectures, group discussions, role play sessions, and practicums. Training allows our volunteers to:

 

• Provide callers who are in crisis or distress with immediate emotional support, in response to urgent needs
• Work collaboratively with callers
• Communicate genuine concern for each caller
• Be accepting of the feelings the caller may have and supportive of their decisions
• Be encouraging and empowering with callers
• Share knowledge of community resources with callers

 

We hope that becoming a Chinese Help Lines volunteer will be a good fit for you. We invite you to apply to be a part of an exciting and worthwhile experience.